Current systems for chemical process heat treating or thermal heat treating of metal or other manufactured components are typically conducted on a relatively large scale for reasons of economy. For example, eutectic salt baths are commonly used, and they generally are operated continuously. Operating a continuous, high temperature, eutectic salt process is expensive both in the initial capital investment and in operating costs. Energy costs are generally high in these systems, and generally the equipment must be left running even if no parts are being processed because it is difficult to restart a bath that has solidified (frozen). Some oven and furnace methods of heat-treating processes eliminate some of the economic drawbacks of molten salt processing. However, with such systems several of the processing benefits from a molten salt process are forfeited. The benefits foregone include excellent heat transfer of molten salt, the ability to quickly process parts, and the ability to add and remove parts with different heat treating requirements while allowing other parts to remain in the system longer. What is needed therefore is a heat treatment system that captures all or at least many of the benefits of a salt bath heat treatment system without as much expense.